Page:Oregon Historical Quarterly volume 37.djvu/142

 Four days previous to our leaving W W a party of Nez perces started for Colville, to obtain provisions & returned to this place 10 days after we arrived with 1 pack of pork 2 of peas 7 of corn & 8 of flour, each pack weighing 90 pounds. This is a very safe and expeditious way of transporting goods especially in this country swarming with horses. I have only to make known by letter what I want from Vancouver or Colville & it is soon here Colville is an establishment of the H B Co on the Columbia R. some 400 miles above W W. & perhaps 300 from this place. God willing I expect to visit that post in April to open an acquaintance with Mr McDonald Esq. who is in charge of that establishment & obtain some grains for seed, 2 or 3 yoke of oxen & a few hogs. But where will Mrs S remain in the meantime; perhaps you will enquire. With our good Nez perces as safe & much happier than in the city of Boston. On the 13th of December the snow fell 18 inches, has been but little since, & now the ground is entirely bare & grass is beginnig to spring up. On the 15th of Dec the mercury stood at 10 below zero in the morning. Before noon however it rose to 10 above & has usually ranged from 25 to 50 since. My Am[erican] horses have wintered very well, though they commenced poor. Cattle are in good flesh. If I neglected in my former letter I will now say, our location is 125 miles east of W W. on a small stream putting into the Koos-Koosky, 15 miles from its junction with the Lewis or Snake river Lat 46°. 30'. Long. 117°. 30'. The Koos Koosky is the first considerable branch putting into the Snake from the East some 120 miles from its junction with the Columbia. There is 6 or 800 miles of apparently good land in this valley, timber sufficient for fire wood & fence. Any quantity of Pine & Cedar may be rafted down the Koos-Koosky & landed within 2 miles of our location. I have taken the liberty to request my friends to direct their communications to your care, postage paid, to be forwarded to the Sandwich Islands, care of Revd Mr. Bingham. My communications should all be directed to Nez perces mission, Fort Walla Walla Columbia R. Whatever is landed safe care of Revd Mr. Bingham Sandwich Is. for us will be quite sure to reach (line torn off] postage in Canada & to the A. B.C.F.M. letters to be at Montreal first of March, also to Maj. Brant or Revd Mr Wisner St Louis postage paid with a